Rewind
by BellaMadonna
Summary: Through a chance meeting at a concert, Bella met & fell in love with her soul mate. What happens when her perfect weekend with a budding rock star turns out to be just a sordid weekend fling? What happens when, 5 yrs later, she comes face to face with him again? Short story AU OCC B/E Rated M
1. Chapter 1

**Hi - This was my entry in the "I'm With The Band O/S Contest" hosted by Wayward Pushers back in October, 2010. I decided to turn it into a mini-fic and post it in a total of five chapters. One chapter will post each day for five days. **

**My Prompt for the story was: ****"Where words fail, music speaks."**

**This story is ****Rated: M; Pairing: Edward / Bella**

**Summary: By a chance meeting at a concert, Bella found and fell in love with her soul mate. But what happens when her perfect weekend with a budding rock star turns out to be just a sordid weekend fling? What happens when, five years later, she comes face to face with him again?**

**Disclaimer: All Twilight characters belong solely to Stephenie Meyer. The original plot belongs solely to me.**

**Many, many thanks to my awesome beta and friend, Melolabel. She's also created a banner for "Rewind". There's a link to the banner on my profile.**

**Also special thanks to hp5freak and Kassiah over on Twitter who kicked my rear into gear and inspired me to write EPOV and post this little story.**

**All songs mentioned in this story are by the rock group, The Whigs. No copyright infringement is intended. I have taken the liberty to "rename" one of their songs, "**_**Kill Me, Carolyne**_**", to "Kill Me, Isobel", for plot development purposes. I also mention their songs, "**_**Hundred Million**__**", "**__**So Lonely**__**", "**__**In the Dark**__**",**_** and **_**"Dying"**_**, and reprint a portion of the lyrics of each song in my story. The lyrics are the sole property of The Whigs and/or their music publisher and the song writer. No copyright infringement is intended by my use of their work. This is simply a plot tool. Their words do not belong to me! All songs mentioned in this story can be found on The Whig's CD – ****"In The Dark"****, published in 2010. I don't own, or have any claim, on their music.  
>I have links to videos of these songs on my profile. If you've not had a chance to enjoy The Whigs' music, then, by all means, take a listen. These three guys are awesome.<br>If you follow me on Twitter you may have seen pictures of my lovely daughter taken with the lead singer and the drummer of The Whigs when we met them at a concert in Charlotte. They were the opening act for, who else, the Kings of Leon!**

**Title: ****Rewind**

**Chapter 1**

_Seattle, Washington, Thursday, December 30, 2010_

"Bella, please!" Alice's voice had that whiny quality that I found both cringe-worthy and compelling at the same time. "We really want you to come with us. This will be our last chance to see the Kings for a long time. Now that you've got that book deal you're gonna be traveling all over the country becoming famous."

Alice, Rose and I had known each other since I moved to New York City five years ago and answered an ad they had placed for a roommate. After graduating from the University of Washington, I got a job as a junior assistant editor at a major publishing house, while writing my 'Epic Novel' in my free time. Within the space of three weeks I'd received an advance on my book, quit my job, and was now a free agent. I could finally devote myself to a full time writing career. Alice was a marketing assistant, working her way up to the position of buyer, at Neiman Marcus, and Rosalie worked in finance on Wall Street. Even though we came from three vastly different backgrounds, we had soon become best friends. None of us were native New Yorkers. I came from the small town of Forks, Washington; Alice from Chicago; and Rose from Los Angeles. Each year, we spent the week between Christmas and New Year's Day in one of our respective home towns. This year, we were in Seattle, the closest large city to Forks.

"Alice, give it a rest," Rosalie told her snippily. "If she doesn't want to come we can't force her!"

My heart was waging a war with my head, and my head was winning until Alice pulled out the big guns: Puppy-dog eyes. Just like that, my defenses fell like the Walls of Jericho. She could see the capitulation as it registered in my eyes.

With much hemming and hawing, I finally muttered, "All right, Alice. You win! I'll go to the concert."

Alice clapped her hands with glee and did a little happy dance around my small hotel room as she sang, "We're gonna have some fun."

Still a little peeved at being coerced into doing something, I stated crossly, "I said I'd go; I didn't say anything about having fun."

"But you will!" Alice, ever the optimist, insisted, her dark, spiky hair fanning out in fashionable disarray around her face. "In all the time we've known you, you've never gone to a concert with us, and I know you love the Kings of Leon as much as we do. It will be impossible _not_ to have fun!"

Not willing to be cajoled into a better mood right away, I stated sourly, "Nothing's impossible."

Rosalie gave a snort before saying, "Suck it up, Swan, you're going and that's that. Whether or not you have a good time is entirely up to you. Someday you're going to have to just let go of the past and not let it rule your life. In the meantime, don't rain on my parade. I plan on having an awesome time."

I begrudgingly acknowledged that Rose was right. I couldn't let one bad experience from years ago cast a shadow over my life forever.

Thanks to Rose's considerable feminine wiles, she'd managed to score all-access passes to the concert from the opening band's bassist. They'd met at a Starbucks of all places. I had to admit my heart was fluttering at the thought of having pit passes _and _backstage passes to a Kings of Leon concert! Alice was right about one thing - I loved KOL with a passion.

The concert started at seven-thirty, but Rose wanted to get there early. It seemed she had been quite taken with the bassist, too. In her words, he had "the sexiest blue eyes this side of anywhere, and muscles that were drool-worthy!" Her comments had piqued my curiosity because Rose was so gorgeous, we were used to guys falling all over themselves to impress her; seldom was she smitten in return. This guy I had to see.

Alice gave me a quick wink as she commented to Rose, "Hey, maybe your bass guy can introduce me to a friend."

Rose wasn't buying it. "Alice Brandon, don't you dare try to horn in on my territory. Hot-bass guy is _mine!_"

"Hey," Alice retorted with mock indignation, "I wouldn't dream of trying to steal your guy. What kind of friend do you think I am?"

"There's a first time for everything, especially since you haven't seen him yet." Rose was still giving her the semi-stink eye.

Alice just laughed at her. We all knew they were just joking around. Well, _Alice _was just joking around, anyway.

I was ready by three-thirty that afternoon and waiting in the lobby of the hotel, leafing through a magazine, when Alice and Rosalie joined me at a quarter to four. We had just enough time to grab an early dinner, before hailing a cab for Key Arena.

The excitement of the crowd at the entry gate was contagious and soon I was as psyched for the show as Rose and Alice. It had been years, five and a half years to be precise, since I had been to a concert, and that long since I had seen the Kings of Leon in person. I forced myself to not think about that concert; this was a new day and I was a different person now. As my mind cleared of the past, my anticipation grew. I was bouncing on my toes with eagerness when the gates finally opened at six.

We showed our passes to the security guard and were escorted to the floor. We quickly found a spot as close to the front as possible and waited for the start of the first show. We talked excitedly between ourselves and with a few of the fans standing closest to us, exchanging concert tales and experiences. I was quiet when it came to sharing experiences; I had no desire to relive my most vivid concert memory. I had shared my story a long time ago with Rose and Alice. I didn't want to share it with strangers. Luckily, no one noticed my lack of contribution, and the conversation flowed easily.

"Have you guys heard this opening group?" one of the girls standing next to Rosalie asked. I think she said her name was Jessica. I saw Rose immediately perk up, and she started to bristle.

"Yeah, we've heard of them," Rose answered carefully, eying her warily.

"Well," Jessica continued in her nasally, valley-girl voice, "I can tell you that they're totally awesome! I saw them last month in L.A., and totally freaked out over the lead singer and guitarist. He is like, totally one of the best guitarists _ev-ah_; like, on par with Eddie Van Halen. And have you seen his picture? OMG! Totally freaking gorgeous! And, oh my God! Can he ever sing!"

I saw the strain leave Rose's face when she realized that Jessica wasn't interested in the bass player, and her friendly mood returned, even though she cringed a little each time Jessica said the word 'totally'.

"Well, actually, we'd never heard of them until this morning." Rose didn't divulge that she had personally met the bass player. "This will be the first time we've heard their music. I think their band is called _Edge_, is that right?"

"Yeah, that's right. It's from their initials- Eddie, Jasper, and Emmett - E. J. E., pronounced Edge. I guess they're like brothers, too. That is so totally clever, don't you think? You see the logo on the drum set that the roadies are setting up?" We all looked toward the stage. The logo was a capital E, turned right, another capital E, turned backward, with a capital J between them, with the cross bar at the top of the J level with the middle leg of the Es with the curled part hanging below.

"You're right. That is a clever acronym," I commented. Alice and Rose nodded their agreement. The logo was simple and straight-forward, and the name was unpretentious. I hoped their music was the same.

Jessica continued, "The lead guitarist also writes most of their stuff, at least the lyrics. He is like, so totally talented. The rest of the guys help with writing the music." She dug an iPod out of her pocket and handed the ear buds to us. "Here, give a listen. This is my favorite song of theirs. It's called "Kill me, Isobel."

Rose picked up one ear bud, while Alice and I shared the other as she hit play. The opening bars were simple, but catchy, and the drum beat made you want to move with the music.

"Oooo, I like this," Alice gushed. "I want to meet this drummer."

Rose and I snorted at the same time. Alice had a thing for drummers. She said there was something so sexy about a man that could use his hands independently while still keeping perfect rhythm. We knew what she meant.

We listened to a short portion of the song after the vocals began. I couldn't hear the lead singer clearly, as I was sharing an ear bud, but I really liked the masculine cadence to his voice.

We handed the iPod back to Jessica who carefully placed it back in her pocket. Then she leaned toward us, looking cautiously around, like she was planning to divulge national secrets or something.

"Now, I don't know how much of this is true and how much is just gossip, but they say the lead singer wrote a lot of the songs on this new CD like, four or five years ago, after a totally bad breakup. This is the band's second CD and they say Eddie was so totally destroyed when his girlfriend walked out on him that he couldn't put any of those songs on the first CD." Jessica looked at each of us in turn, waiting for us to comment. Alice spoke up first.

"Oh, that's kind of sad," Alice always had a tender heart and could empathize with anyone.

Rose nodded her agreement as I chimed in, "Maybe this album is kind of a catharsis for his soul."

Jessica looked at me blankly, before simply nodding her head. I could see Rosalie struggling to hide a smirk as she simply looked at Jessica with a touch of pity.

"Anyhoo," Jessica continued, "I've heard that he ends every show by telling this girl that he still loves her. I heard him do it myself at the concert in Los Angeles. Can you imagine?"

"I guess he must still love her a lot." Alice answered. "Did you say they broke up _five_ yearsago?"

"Yeah, that's what the gossip sites say," Jessica confirmed.

Well, I could certainly sympathize with him. Suddenly the house lights dimmed and we moved up as close as we could get to the stage. Rose wasn't above using her drop-dead looks to get guys to move aside and let her in front of them. One swing of her long, blond hair and a bat of her blue eyes and guys usually fell at her feet. Alice and I were happy to tag along, reaping the rewards of our friend's persuasive abilities with the opposite sex.

The lights were suddenly doused completely and a single guitar note reverberated throughout the stadium. Strobe lights began to flash and multicolored flood lights bathed the stage. We saw two figures run from stage right. One grabbed the bass, while the other jumped behind the drums. As the guitar note continued to shake the rafters, the drummer began a beat that was quickly picked up by the bassist, and bright white spotlights focused on their figures. I heard almost simultaneous gasps of "Oh my God" from both Rose and Alice as they beheld the two musicians on stage.

As the music continued to swell around us, the guitarist started picking out the opening notes, the re-verb from the speakers pounding through my chest. I saw another figure walking slowly from stage right, head down while his hands plucked out a jarring rhythm on the guitar slung low across his lanky body. The applause was deafening as he was welcomed to the stage. With his back to the audience, he nodded first to the drummer and then the bass player. When the beat picked up, he turned to face us and stepped up to the mic. The main spotlight flashed brightly, illuminating his handsome face as he began to sing...

"**Shock me into town, everybody wants to take me down..."**

Shock! Yes, that's what I felt. Total shock! I couldn't move; I couldn't breathe. All I could do was stare at the face I hadn't seen in five and a half long years: Stare and remember...

. - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - .

**A/N – This will be a very short story – only five chapters. Little bit of angst, but it's over pretty quickly. Please remember, this story was written originally as a one shot, so the whole story was told at once. I probably could have fleshed it out a little more, especially in EPOV, but I just didn't want to write all that angst!**

**Hope you enjoy the story. Chapter 2 will be posted tomorrow afternoon.**

**Rock on!**

**** BM ****


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: As promised, here's Chapter 2. Thanks again to Melolabel for her awesome beta skills. Love you, bb.  
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**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight (darn!)**

**I also don't own the Kings of Leon, (double darn!) but I do have a massive crush on the drummer, Nathan Followill. He tweets me Happy Birthdays and I drool on my blackberry.**

**. - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - .**

**Rewind, Chapter 2**

**BPOV**

_(Flashback)_

**July, 2005 – Moore Theater, Seattle, Washington...**

"This is our row," Angela announced and motioned for me to enter first.

She slid down the row behind me to our seats. I turned toward the stage. These weren't the best seats in the place, but we had an unobstructed view of the stage and that was what mattered. We bounced with excitement as we watched the roadies set up the stage. This was only the third concert I had ever attended; it was Angela's second. The tickets were a graduation present from Angela's cousin to us after we completed our studies at U Dub. This was our last hurrah before we truly became grown-ups. I was leaving for New York next week and my genius best friend had a job with NASA in Houston.

Angela's cousin, Mike, was very excited by this obscure group - The Kings of Leon. What kind of name was that? We had Googled them and discovered that their logo, KOL, looked like it had been stuck haphazardly on the black bass drum with white medical tape. Angela and I had a good laugh about it. We just hoped they would be half-way decent and live up to a third of the hype Mike had spewed about them.

Bored with roadie watching, we turned our attention to the crowd. People-watching was always fun at concerts. Angela and I made bets as to which group would get dog-assed drunk first. We were having a friendly argument about one particular group when we were brought up short by the polite clearing of a throat to our left. My eyes traveled up a long pair of jean-clad legs, across taut abdominal muscles encased in a thin, black tee shirt that stretched just-so across a lean, muscular chest. I had to swallow as my eyes encountered the day-old scruff on the sexiest jaw I had ever laid eyes on. That jaw had a chiseled edge that could cut glass! My gaze traveled over his messy, bronze, sex hair, then lingered on his soft, slightly parted lips before moving up a perfect, if slightly crooked, nose to lock with the most amazing green eyes on earth.

My nether regions sat up and started drooling because I had died and gone to heaven!

I realized I was staring when he cleared his throat again before giving me a devastatingly sexy, crooked smile, as he waited for me to pull my feet back so he could get by. I actually toyed with the idea of not letting him pass, just trapping him where he stood, so I could simply look at him.

I watched those tempting lips part and heard words come out, but I couldn't make my mind register what they meant until he repeated himself.

"May I pass?"

Oh, my goodness! That voice was smooth as silk. I could listen to him speak forever. Then I suddenly realized I was basically staring at an earth-bound god, in the middle of a crowded concert, with my mouth hanging open, most likely making a complete fool of myself. I felt my cheeks turn ten different shades of red before I quickly broke my eyes from his face and looked down, drawing my feet under my seat so he could walk by. I suddenly wished the ground would open up and swallow me. I had never been so embarrassed in my life, and that included the day at the beginning of freshman year when I stumbled off the curb at Forks High School and fell, butt first, into a huge mud puddle – on picture day – in front of the entire Forks High Football team – and the cheerleaders! Yes, this was more embarrassing than even that moment.

I could hear him chuckling softly as he plopped himself down in the seat right next to me.

Oh, please! Lightning, strike me now! He's sitting right next to me, and will be for the rest of the night! Could my evening get any more complete?

"Hi, my name is Cullen, Edward Cullen."

I didn't answer. All I could do was stare and think, 'Bond, James Bond'. Uh-huh. He was definitely secret agent material. That smile and those eyes should be registered as secret weapons. Not to mention that face and body. I was still sitting there, basically re-establishing my earlier open-mouthed stare, when Angela elbowed me in the ribs and whispered, "Bella, he's talking to you."

I still couldn't form words, but I did give my head a slight shake to clear it enough to hear him, blessing everything holy that I hadn't passed out.

"I'm Edward Cullen, and you are...?"

I swallowed thickly and licked my lips before I found enough of my voice to answer him.

"Swan, Bella Swan."

Was that my voice? Did that croaky, high-pitched, breathless sound come out of my throat? And had I really just answered him with my own version of 'Bond, James Bond?'

"I beg your pardon? I didn't catch that."

I cleared my throat and tried again, this time producing a closer approximation of my actual speaking voice.

"I'm Bella… er… Bella Swan."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Bella Swan." He stretched out his hand to me and I tentatively placed my suddenly-sweaty palm in his. I gasped as I felt a tingle when our skin touched. It raced up my arm, across my torso, and straight to my girly parts, encouraging the drooling that was taking place in my jeans. My eyes lifted to his in shock and I could see the touch had affected him, too, as his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

I was still speechless, but he recovered nicely and spoke. "Bella? Is that short for Isabella?"

Still not trusting myself to speak, I simply nodded.

"Isabella. I like that. You look like an Isabella. May I call you that?" he asked, again giving me that panty-dropping, crooked smile.

Sexy man, you can slap me on the head and call me Swanee, the detested childhood nickname given to me by the school bully, and I would still love hearing it coming from those lips. Not that I said that out loud. I was barely able to breathe out a simple, "Of course."

Edward introduced me to his friend, whom I hadn't even noticed as he passed by to sit at Edward's far side. "This is my friend, Ben Cheney. He's leaving for Iraq on Tuesday."

I noticed his GI haircut as I stretched over to shake his hand. My forearm brushed lightly against Edward's thigh as I leaned and I heard his quick intake of breath at the contact. My arm burned where it had touched his leg.

I took a shaky breath and spoke, "Hi, I'm Bella. Nice to meet you, Ben." I shook his hand then leaned back and looked at Edward again. I heard a slightly muffled clearing of a throat to my left, and I realized that I had forgotten that Angela was sitting there.

Quickly realizing my rudeness, I rushed to introduce her. "Oh, and this is my friend, Angela Weber." I said to both of them, before turning back to face Edward. Edward politely shook Angela's hand, but Ben rose from his seat and stepped by me to stand in front of her before he too, shook her hand, holding it for a few moments longer than was necessary.

"How do you do, Angela? I'm Ben Cheney," his eyes caught and held hers.

With a quick glance at Angela, I could tell she liked what she saw when she looked up at Ben. I had to admit, he had the clean-cut, good looks she usually found attractive. Edward hadn't missed the exchange between them and quickly suggested that we all move down a seat in the row, so that Ben could sit next to Angela. That seemed to suit Ben and Angela just fine and soon they were engrossed in conversation.

After my initial awkwardness, I was quickly put at ease by Edward's smooth handling of the situation. Sensing I was nervous, he did everything to make me feel comfortable and draw me into a conversation. Soon we were talking as if we had known each other for years. I told him that I had just graduated from U Dub with a dual degree in American Literature and English. I told him I wanted to be an editor and perhaps, one day, an author. He told me he had graduated from U Dub two years ago with a degree in music.

I found he was very easy to talk to. He told me he had been a fan the Kings of Leon for a couple of years and tried to catch them in concert whenever he could. He explained that their music was very down-to-earth and different; kind of raw. They wrote most of their own stuff, and he admired the lead singer, Caleb-something, immensely. He told me the band was really big in England, but were still virtually unknown in America.

I listened with rapt attention as he spoke, not caring if he saw that I was hanging onto his every word. The more he spoke, the calmer I became.

The lights dimmed as the opening band, the Secret Machines, took the stage. They were okay, but didn't grab our attention enough to make us leap out of our seats and dance in the aisles. To be honest, I didn't really mind. I would much rather spend my time talking to Edward; getting to know him better.

He told me he was a musician and had formed his own group with his brothers. In that respect, he likened himself to the Kings, as they were all related, too. He was unpretentious when he told me his band had, in fact, just been signed to a record deal. I was impressed by his humility.

The opening band finished, and Ben and Angela interrupted us to let us know they were going to the concessions. They asked if they could bring us anything. I asked Angela to bring me a water and Edward rose to his feet, pushed some money into Ben's hand and whispered something to him quickly, before resuming his seat.

Edward and I were in deep conversation when Ben and Angela returned. Angela handed me my water while Ben handed Edward a CD and then tossed over a ball of cloth which Edward deftly caught in mid-air. I looked at it curiously before Edward he handed the items to me.

"Here, I bought you a couple of things to help you remember the concert."

I glanced at the CD - Aha Shake Heartbreak and he said, "It's the Kings new CD and my favorite."

I nodded, smiling as I sat my bottle of water on the floor and put the CD in my purse. Then I carefully unfolded the cloth to reveal a tee shirt with the words "Kings of Leon" emblazoned across the front, along with a couple of red cherries with stems and leaves attached.

I didn't tell him that I wouldn't need anything to help me remember this night, I just impulsively threw my arms around his neck and whispered, "Thank you."

I felt his arms close around me and tighten slightly, drawing me half out of my seat to press me closer to his body, before he slowly released me. The firm muscles of his chest had left my breasts tingling and my nipples hard. My heart was beating double time, and my breathing was erratic as I drew back and let my gaze lock with his. I could see my feelings reflected back in his half-closed eyes. His head moved toward me slowly as his tongue darted out to moisten his lips. I knew he wanted to kiss me, but he drew himself away and threw me a devastatingly sexy smile.

We continued to talk while the stage was set up for the Kings. I wanted to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming and that this gorgeous man was really sitting here, making small talk with me. My breath hitched a little as Edward enclosed my small hand within his much larger one. I couldn't help but notice how beautiful his hands were, with long, tapered fingers, the tips rough with calluses that I realized came from playing guitar.

He was right about the band. The Kings of Leon were awesome. I was on my feet beside Edward as we rocked out to the beat. I enjoyed every song they sang and enjoyed even more the way Edward's hand continued to hold mine as we moved to the fast songs. I was in heaven when his arm slid around my shoulder to pull me close to him during the slow songs. The night was so perfect. But my heart fell with disappointment when the Kings announced their final song.

As if he could sense my shift in mood, Edward pulled me to him, even though the opening guitar riffs indicated that the song would be super fast. It didn't matter. As the crowd pulsed with the beat around us, I saw his eyes focus on mine. He leaned his face down to my level and I knew he was going to kiss me. I closed my eyes and waited, anticipation nearly killing me.

I felt his hands cupping my face just a second before his lips softly brushed mine, moving gently back and forth, slowly drawing me in. His lips were slightly parted but he made no move to explore the interior of my mouth. Instead, he sucked lightly on my bottom lip, tasting me, and turning this simple act into the most erotic thing I'd ever experienced.

He gave me a final soft peck before pulling back slightly and leaning his forehead against mine for a moment. He inhaled deeply and then let out a long breath, pulling back far enough to look into my eyes again.

"Wow! That was intense."

I drew a shaky breath and nodded. I could barely hear him above the roar of the music blasting around us. I didn't reply, but words weren't necessary; my feelings were written clearly on my face.

His hands ghosted down the sides of my neck, and stopped to lightly caress my shoulders before he turned us back to face the stage to listen to the rest of the song. We swayed to the music with his arms wrapped around my waist, pulling my back closer to his chest, where I fit perfectly.

All too soon, the concert was over, and we were forced to move along with the press of the crowd. I could feel disappointment weighing on my heart when I realized that this magical night was almost over. Edward walked me slowly toward the parking lot, twice stopping to kiss me again, and each time my toes curled with the intensity of the feelings he inspired in me. He held my hand and randomly brushed the back of it with his thumb as we walked toward Angela's car.

We were thirty yards from the car when Edward pulled up short, turning me toward him and pulling me in to his arms.

He whispered into my hair, "I don't want this night to end, Isabella; I can't bear to let you go. And before you say anything, I promise you, I'm not some crazy nut-job. I've never felt this way about a woman before. I feel drawn to you, like I've searched for you my whole life."

He tightened his hold on me, almost as if he expected me to bolt at his words. Instead, I burrowed closer into his chest and answered him honestly.

"I don't make a habit of picking up men at concerts, and I'm not one to randomly hook up with a guy. But you make me feel... safe. For all I know, you could be another Ted Bundy, but I don't care. I don't want this night to end either."

We just stood there, holding on to each other for dear life, when we heard someone calling to us. We broke apart and turned as Angela and Ben approached, hands entwined.

"Edward," Ben called as he and Angela came closer. "Hey, buddy, would you mind giving Bella a lift home? Angela and I want to grab a quick bite and finish our conversation." Edward and I could both hear his unspoken request: We want to be alone.

Edward quickly assured Ben that he would be happy to drop me off, and that he would try to catch up with him on Monday before he deployed. With that settled, Edward draped his arm around my shoulders, pulled me close to his side, and headed toward the other side of the parking lot.

Ten minutes later, we were seated in his Volvo – Edward drove a Volvo, go figure – waiting for our turn to enter the traffic streaming out of the parking area. After he shifted into drive, his hand never left mine. We continued to make small talk, exchanging names of our favorite restaurants and food, before tossing around theories about Ben and Angela and their budding relationship. When Edward finally maneuvered the car onto the highway, he turned to me.

"Where to?" The softly spoken words caused my heart to race and my breath to catch in my throat. I wanted so much to spend the rest of the night, weekend, week, month, year... my life... with him. I never wanted to be away from him, so I spoke from my heart.

"Anywhere you are."

I heard Edward suck in a ragged breath as his hand squeezed mine. He lifted it to his lips and brushed a soft kiss against my knuckles. The light from the dashboard revealed a burning intensity in his eyes as he glanced at me.

"Come home with me," he breathed.

"Okay." My whispered reply caused a shudder to run through his body; I saw him shake from head to toe.

The drive to his apartment took twenty-five ridiculously long minutes, during which I had an internal heart to heart talk with myself. Was I seriously going to go home with a man I had just met tonight? Someone I knew almost nothing about? Someone that could be a psycho or a serial killer? Yes, I answered myself. I was going home with Edward. A man that made my toes curl when he kissed me; a man with the clearest, most honest green eyes I had ever seen. A man that embodied everything I'd ever dreamed of in a lover. Yes, I was throwing caution to the wind and following my heart; to hell with the consequences.

Edward pulled into the parking garage of his apartment complex on the outskirts of Seattle. We approached the elevator in silence as the sexual tension between us mounted to a fevered pitch. I nearly launched myself at him when the doors closed, but he beat me to the punch, drawing my body to his, letting me feel his lean muscles as he pressed himself against me. I felt his erection on my stomach, and I wanted him to kiss me so bad I could taste it, but he just pulled my head into his chest as he ground his hips into my flesh. The doors opened, and Edward picked me up off the floor and strode down the hallway, stopping before his apartment door.

Moments later, he had us through the door with the world locked behind it. I heard a low growl come from his throat, and I dropped my purse and new tee-shirt to the floor as he lifted me until my face was level with his. He turned quickly and pushed my back against the door to devour my mouth with his.

His tongue entered my mouth, sweeping aside my inhibitions as he staked his claim on my body. His hands moved to the back of my thighs as he lifted me higher so I could wrap my legs around his waist, bringing his hardness in direct line with my crotch. I sucked on his tongue as his body pressed mine into the smooth surface of the door, grinding against me in a sensual rhythm. My hands had been trapped between our bodies, but I freed them to move down and grab the hem of his shirt, tugging it upward. I wanted to feel the hard muscles of his body under my hands. I reveled in the rough sensation of body hair as I raked my fingertips up the planes of his chest, causing another shudder to quake through him. Slightly disappointed that my hands could move no farther up because of his shirt, I withdrew one hand and plunged it onto the sexy mess of hair that I'd been dying to touch all night.

A groan escaped him as I let my fingernails scrape lightly across his scalp, and he let my legs fall to the floor. He released my mouth long enough to whip his shirt over his head and quickly do the same with mine. He stopped short after he tossed my shirt aside as his eyes raked across me, lingering on my white lace bra.

He took a shaky breath and said, "Oh, God, you're beautiful!" His hands lifted slowly and his fingertips brushed lightly across the upper swell of my breasts, left bare above the push-up bra cups. Slowly and almost reverently, he lowered his head and let his lips follow the path of his fingers. A moan escaped as I felt the scrape of his scruffy jaw against my tender skin, sending a wave of desire through me. I tangled my fingers in his hair as I pulled his mouth closer to my body.

Slowly, he raised his head, his eyes penetrating mine with a look of such longing I nearly crumpled to the floor.

"No, baby, not like this. You're too special to fuck against a door. I want you in my bed where I can love you the way you deserve to be loved."

And with those words, he picked me up in his arms and headed down a short hallway, through a door, and deposited me gently on his bed before following me down.

The night was perfect. Edward made it perfect for me. I had had sex before, with one guy in college, but the experience had left me slightly disappointed and wondering what all the fuss was about. Until now, I had never had a man make love to me. Edward showed me the difference between sex and making love. He was gentle when I needed him to be, and forceful when I wanted more. By the time we finally had intercourse, he had given me two orgasms – one with his fingers and a second with his mouth. When he finally settled his body over mine, I thought I would die if I didn't have him inside me soon.

I watched as he rolled a condom onto his hard length, before stretching out next to me on the bed. He kissed me slowly as he moved over me, placing the tip of his penis at my entrance. As his mouth slid down to lick across my jaw, he sank himself into my body with a throaty groan, making me his completely. I felt him stretch me to capacity and more, and still he continued to fill me, until we were joined wholly; absolutely. A muted moan escaped me as I felt the wonder of being one with Edward. It was as if I had waited my whole life just to be in this moment with him; only him.

I knew in that instant that I loved him. I loved him with every bone in my body, with every muscle, every sinew. He was the other half of me. I belonged to him, and he belonged to me. I loved him completely and utterly; forever.

I felt him flex his hips and withdraw from me, only to sink back in, and the feeling of him dominating my body caused ripples of lust to move through me. As he picked up his pace, my hips lifted to meet each thrust. My hands raked across his shoulders and down his back as I wrapped my legs around his thighs, drawing him to me. I wanted him closer; I couldn't seem to get close enough. I wanted to crawl into his skin and possess him as he was possessing me. As he continued to move, I let my lips move across his jaw and down his neck. I felt the pressure start to build deep inside me, growing with each movement of his body against mine, until it flooded forth and took me away once again. As I rode out the wave of pleasure, I felt Edward approaching his own release. He began to move erratically, before he froze and let the pleasure crash over him. At that moment, I drew the skin of his neck into my mouth, sucking on it until I felt the blood pool under the skin. I had marked him. He was mine!

We spent all day Saturday in bed, getting up only to go to the bathroom or rustle up a snack, as Edward had very little real food in the place. Around four in the afternoon, we decided to shower – together. We made love, and we talked. We talked, then we made love some more. I told him about my mom and dad, how they had divorced when I was five, and that my mother had lived in Phoenix, but now lived with my step dad in Jacksonville. I told him my Dad was the Chief of Police in a tiny town about four hours from Seattle. He told me about his family, his parents and his brothers. He told me again about his band and the record deal they had just signed. I teased him about becoming famous and having groupies following him everywhere. He laughed and said I was the only groupie he'd ever need.

We told each other little things; silly things; unimportant things; and I fell deeper in love with him with every new thing I learned about him. Every so often, he would just cup my face in his hands and say that he couldn't believe he'd found me; that he'd never felt this way about anyone ever before; that I was his life now. While he never came right out and said he loved me, I knew we were both feeling a connection of the souls with each other. We were in our own little world, untouched and untouchable by the outside world. We fell asleep Saturday night wrapped around each other, sated and satisfied.

What was the old saying: All good things must come to an end? I discovered that adage was truer than I had ever imagined.

I awoke Sunday morning to an empty bed. I felt across the sheets and ran my hand over the indentation in his pillow, reassuring myself that I hadn't been dreaming. I crawled out of bed, visited the bathroom, and began to dress. I figured Edward had just gone for a run; he'd told me he usually ran at least five miles every morning. I was just pulling my new concert tee shirt over my head when a knock sounded at the door. I smiled as I figured Edward had forgotten his key.

I was still smiling as I pulled open the door, expecting to see his handsome face grinning back. Imagine my surprise when standing on the other side was a gorgeous redhead, probably in her late twenties to early thirties. She was smiling, but it could not, by any stretch of the imagination, be classified as friendly. It was more just a baring of her teeth.

"So you're the flavor of the day, huh?" she smirked at me as she pushed her way by me and walked into the apartment.

I ignored the bitterness in her voice and questioned her. "I beg your pardon? Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Oh, sweet cheeks, I belong here more than you do. I'm Victoria Williams, Edward's manager. It would seem I'm also the one to get him out of these messy entanglements."

I eyed her narrowly and demanded, "What are you talking about? What messy entanglement? Where's Edward?"

"You naive little girl," she scoffed. "You're the messy entanglement. Edward sent me to deal with you."

"Deal with me? What are you talking about? Why should you have to deal with me?"

"Well, isn't it obvious?" She gave me a pitying look. "Edward wants you out of here, but he doesn't like to do his own dirty work. So, it falls to me. I should have it written into my job description."

I felt as if I had been hit in the face with ice water. Edward wanted me gone? He had sent his manager to get rid of me? I felt the world tilt a little, until everything was slightly off kilter.

No! I wouldn't believe it. Edward would not do this. Marshaling my remaining courage, I rounded on her. "No, I don't believe you. I don't believe Edward asked you to deal with me."

She let out a brittle laugh. "That's what they all say. Believe me, honey, I've seen and heard it a dozen times. It's always the same. The girls can never believe that 'Perfect Edward' has feet of clay. Believe it, honey, he wants you gone."

I still didn't want to believe it. Edward wouldn't do this. Not after everything we'd shared. Then the doubts began; first, just a little, but they continued to grow. Had he somehow guessed that I had fallen in love with him? I could imagine most women would fall for him; he was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen, inside and out. As I thought about it, things became clearer. Of course, why didn't I see it before? Why would a man like Edward want to be with a plain, ordinary girl like me? I was nothing special. I was just plain old Bella.

Oh, my God! How could I have been so stupid! There was no way a man like Edward would ever be serious about a girl like me. Suddenly, I was again that shy, insecure girl, sitting in a mud puddle in high school.

I had to get out of here. I glanced around the room, looking for my purse. I saw it on the floor in the entryway. I grabbed it as I headed toward the door.

"Oh, honey, here's a twenty for cab fare."

I looked at the hand held out to me as if it were a writhing serpent. There was no way I would touch that money. I clawed at the door knob, flung it open and rushed out. I didn't even look back, nor did I wait for the elevator, as I practically ran down the stairs and onto the street.

I never saw Edward again...

Until now.

**. - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - .**

**A/N: In case you're interested, I'm a stickler for accuracy, especially in events. Did you know that Kings of Leon actually had a concert at the Moore Theater in July, 2005. Their opening act was Secret Machines. If I remember correctly from my research, the Kings' closing song was "Spiral Staircase". **

**The Kings also played a concert in Seattle on December 30, 2010.**

**I love the Internet. You can find almost anything in cyberspace.**

**Rock On!**

**** BM****


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: As promised, here's Chapter 3. **

**I am blown away by all the alerts and favorites this little story is getting. I have to thank the awesome Ironic Twist for pimping this little made-over one-shot over on Twitter. I'm I luv with her right now!**

**This chapter defines the original prompt for the story - ****"Where words fail, music speaks."**

**Special thanks to Melolabel for her mad beta skills. She also did a banner for the story. Link is on my profile.**

**Disclaimer: I'm still not the owner of Twilight.**

**All songs mentioned in this chapter are by The Whigs. I do not own them. I do not own their songs. I do, however, own their CD, **_**In The Dark**_**, autographed (Yeah!) and pictures of the drummer & lead singer/guitarist with my darling daughter! Links to videos of the songs are on my profile.**

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**Rewind, Chapter 3**

**BPOV**

I wanted to run out of the arena, like I had from his apartment, but I was hemmed in by the crowd. Then, I couldn't drag my eyes away from him. I let myself drink him in. He had changed very little over the years. His hair was still that messy mop of sexiness and his jaw was still sharply chiseled. He had filled out a little, but it didn't detract from his physique. Instead, it served to make him sexier. His face was still as handsome as ever, and I felt my heart constrict in my chest as I watched him.

His hands were still as beautiful as I remembered; if I closed my eyes, I could see those long, tapered fingers ghosting over my skin. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I fought to blink them away; I refused to let them fall. I had already cried too many tears over Edward Cullen.

I glanced over at Rose and Alice and was relieved that they hadn't noticed my temporary mental breakdown. I just had to hold it together until the band finished their set, then I'd never have to see him again.

Never see him again...

Suddenly, it was as if the last five years had disappeared and everything had happened only yesterday. The pain was so raw it nearly brought me to my knees. I couldn't help myself; my eyes once again sought his face. I saw the lines of weariness that were etched into his skin. He looked like I felt; as if he had lost his whole world, but still had to somehow keep living.

Then I remembered what Jessica had said. The lead singer of _Edge_ wrote all their songs, and a lot of the stuff on their new CD had been written when he had broken up with his girlfriend ... _five years ago!_ Was it possible? No, no, I wouldn't let myself believe that Edward had been as affected by our parting as I was. After all, his manager had said he wanted rid of me.

I was chastising myself for even hoping, when they began their next song. I watched his fingers as he played the opening bars. Then I couldn't help but listen to the words...

"**Sleep my memory away, and try, I'll try and make my case.  
>And you give me authority, you give me authority, you give me authority to lie.<br>Kill, kill me, Isobel. I know you love me, but you'd feel better  
>If you'd just suck it up and Kill, kill me, Isobel<br>You know it's nothing sentimental, but I really, really need you to."**

I nearly fell to the floor. It was me! I was Isobel!

I clutched at Alice, who turned reluctantly from her perusal of the drummer toward me. Catching sight of my stricken expression, she grabbed Rosalie to get her attention before wrapping her arm around me as alarm washed over her face. Rose took one look at me and moved to my other side, sliding her arm around my shoulders.

"Bella, what's the matter?" Alice asked in panic. "Are you sick, honey? Is it the crowd?"

"We need to find her a place to sit down," Rosalie insisted, starting to pull me through the sea of gyrating bodies.

I found my strength and resisted, causing them to pause and look at me. "No, I'm okay. I'll be okay."

"Honey, what's wrong?" Alice again pleaded.

I raised my eyes to look between them.

"It's him." I whispered as they leaned in close to hear me above the roar of the music.

"What? It's who? Did someone bother you?" Alice asked, alarmed.

I took a deep breath and tried again. "No. It's him. The lead singer: It's Edward."

"Edward?" Rosalie asked, puzzled for a moment, until a light seemed to go off in her head. "Edward! You mean, _your Edward?_"

I simply nodded. I didn't need to say more; they knew the whole story of my weekend with the man of my dreams. They knew that, even though I thought I'd never see him again, I continued to rate every man I met against what they called the _Edward Standard, _and no man could ever measure up.

I could see the anger begin to build in each of them as they realized that the man that had hurt their friend was now singing twenty-five feet from where we stood. I could see the thirst for blood in their eyes, but I had to stop them.

"Wait, before you pull Edward from the stage and murder him, remember what Jessica said about him writing his songs for his lost girlfriend. Listen to this song. Listen to the words! I'm Isobel!" I said as I patted my hand over my heart. They both paused and listened.

"**Kill, kill me, Isobel, I know you love me, but you'd feel better  
>If you'd just suck it up and Kill, kill me, Isobel<br>Cause I'm not worthy of your affection. K-K-K-K-Kill, kill me, Isobel  
>Kill, kill me, Isobel, You know it's nothing sentimental<br>But I really, really need you to."**

The song came to an end and they both looked at me, trying to figure out what the lyrics were telling us.

"Don't you see? I'm Isobel. Edward never called me Bella. He called me Isabella. Oh, my God! What if it's true? What if Edward didn't send me away that morning? What if Victoria made the whole thing up?" My mind was racing as I again relived those awful moments in Edward's apartment.

The band rolled into their next song and my friends just stood there as I recounted that day. "Edward was gone when I woke up. I thought he had gone for a morning run, because he told me he ran most mornings. Then Victoria showed up, out of the blue, and tells me Edward wants me gone. I didn't believe her at first, but she seemed so sure of herself, and then I started doubting myself and started thinking that I wasn't good enough for Edward. I basically let her run me out of the apartment." I looked at my friends, willing them to come to the same conclusion as me.

"So, you think Victoria lied to you that morning?" Alice asked slowly.

"Yes, I think it's entirely possible."

"Then why didn't Edward come after you?" Rosalie asked, playing the devil's advocate in our discussion.

"I don't think I told Edward where I lived. And I didn't give him my cell number; it never came up in our conversations."

"Why didn't he ask his friend about Angela? She would have known how to reach you." Rosalie continued to throw out questions.

"Maybe he didn't get a chance to ask his friend. Ben deployed to Iraq on Tuesday morning, and then Angela left for Houston on Wednesday, and I left for New York on Friday. I changed my cell number a few days after getting to New York when I changed cell companies. Then I was so busy with things, and so devastated by what had happened, I just wanted to forget everything about that weekend. I didn't get around to giving my number to Angela until months later."

Rose and Alice looked at each other, before they both nodded. Alice spoke, "I guess it's possible. Heaven knows, we both thought he was nuts for letting you go in the first place."

Rose added, "Let's listen to the rest of their set, and then we'll take it from there. If you still want to give him the benefit of the doubt, we do have those backstage passes."

I smiled at them and nodded as we made our way cautiously back toward the stage. I wanted to get as close as I could to Edward. I knew with all the bright lights, he wouldn't be able to see me in the crowd, but I could see him.

I listened to the songs he sang; really listened to the lyrics as I tried to figure out which ones he had written after I left. When he sang these lyrics, I knew he was singing about me...

"**... And she said that she'd never leave me, So I said, I'd never let her go.  
>Hey, I don't want to break down, why I'm feeling so lonely when you're around."<strong>

As the song continued, I was suddenly so ashamed for ever doubting him and believing the words of a woman I'd never met before that morning. Deep down, I knew it was because I had been so insecure with who I was back then. Now that I had lived for five years in New York City, I had learned to fight for what I believed, and had become much more confident in who I was. The person I was now would never have run out that door and left Edward. Never!

He sang a couple more songs before singing another one about me...

"**The sun is gonna set again, She said she'd come, she said she'd come  
>The night is your closest friend, She said she'd come, she said she'd come<br>Blow my candle on a mystery, Kiss me kisses so that I can see  
>She'll only love me if the light's turned down<br>It takes my soul away, takes my soul away."**

Did he dream about me at night, in the dark? Did he really feel as if I'd taken his soul away? Would he ever forgive me? I watched him playing and singing his life on that stage, and I prayed that he'd forgive me. Regardless, I would fight for him. If there was one chance in hell that I could win him back, I'd do whatever I had to do.

Before I knew it, he was announcing their last song.

"Thank you, Seattle, for a great homecoming. You're an awesome audience!" he paused for a moment, as he began the opening licks of the last song. It had a slightly unreal sound to it; very ethereal sounding. Then he said the words that I had been waiting all night to hear him say.

"Isabella, if you're out there, I still love you."

Then he turned his back to the audience, and, because I was looking so intently at him, I saw him swallow hard and compose his features before turning back around.

"**It used to be right in front of you, but now it's gone.  
>It used to be right in front of you but now it's gone..."<strong>

I felt tears burn my eyes before running down my face as I realized what despair he had been in when he wrote those lyrics.

"**Somebody better come speed up your heart, cause it's dying.  
>Somebody better come speed up your heart, cause it's dying..."<strong>

I felt my feet carry me even closer to the stage as I wedged myself between the people until I stood against the rail barrier, directly below him. He didn't see me as he turned to pick up an acoustic guitar to end the song. His fingers delicately picked out the melody before he raised his eyes and looked directly at me and sang...

"**It used to be right in front of you, but now it's gone."**

It took him a moment to register my presence. The crowd was going wild as the song ended, but his gaze was locked on me. I saw him close his eyes once and give his head a hard shake, as if he thought I must be a hallucination; that I couldn't be real. Then he opened them again and focused on me.

"Isabella?" he whispered and then repeated with more confidence, "Isabella!"

**. - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - . - .**

**A/N: If you have a chance, please listen to the song "Dying", by The Whigs. A link to a video is on my profile. I love that song!**

**Chapter 4 will post tomorrow.**

**Thanks for all the love!**

**Rock On!**

**** BM ****


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: As promised, here's Chapter 4.**

**This is EPOV of the aftermath. **

**Many thanks to my awesome-sauce beta, Melolabel, and thanks for all the reviews, favorites and alerts! I get teary eyed each time my inbox dings.**

**Disclaimer: I'm not Stephenie Meyer, so Twilight is not mine, but I do enjoy pretending.**

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**Rewind, Chapter 4**

**EPOV**

_**(Early afternoon, December 30, 2010, Seattle, Washington… )**_

I couldn't help shaking my head as my brother pranced, yes Emmett _pranced_, around the hotel room.

"Guys, I'm telling you, this was the hottest fucking girl I have ever seen! I'm talking Sports Illustrated swimsuit-model hot! I gave her three passes to the show tonight. She said she had two friends, and you know how it is with hot girls; they only hang around with other hot girls. That's one for each of us."

I rolled my eyes at him and glanced over at Jasper as he snickered at our brother's antics.

"I'm serious, guys! Tonight will be our lucky night!"

"Thanks, Em, but, no thanks. I'm not into groupies, you know that." I really didn't want to burst his bubble, but there was no way I was hooking up with a random girl. I had only ever done that once and it nearly destroyed me.

"Listen, Ed. I know you've been hurt. Hell, Jazz and I have lived with your fucking angst for five years, but one of these days you're gonna have to rejoin the land of the living. No girl is worth it, man!"

"Em, leave him alone," Jasper spoke up, giving me a look of sympathy.

"Hey, I don't mean to get on your case, Ed, but you know I'm right."

I gave a resigned sigh, knowing, deep down, that he was right. "It's alright. I understand where you're coming from, but you have to know where I stand, too." We'd had this conversation before.

Emmett gave an exasperated huff, "Okay, man. Whatever. Will you at least speak to this girl tonight? Who knows, maybe something will spark between you two."

He had such a hopeful look in his eyes that I didn't have the heart to turn him down. "Okay, I'll talk to her."

Immediately Em's happy demeanor returned and he fist-pumped as he said, "Awesome!"

I picked up my old acoustic guitar and strummed a few notes as memories flooded my mind. Maybe Em was right. Maybe it was time to move on.…

_(Flashback)_

_**July, 2005, Seattle, Washington …..**_

Morning was just breaking over Seattle when I was awakened by sunshine pouring through the crack in the curtains. I felt the warmth of bare skin against my side and the soft body tucked under my arm.

Isabella.

I turned my head, letting my eyes drink in her beauty as I felt my heart swell. She was the woman of my dreams, perfect in every way. It sounded crazy, even to me, but I was in love with her. I knew my brothers were going to tell me I was insane, certifiable even, but that didn't matter. She was my other half, my life. It felt as if I had known her forever, not just two days. It was as if we clicked; two separate pieces of one whole being. We were only complete when we were together.

I leaned in and kissed her lips softly. She murmured something that I could have sworn was "Love you", before snuggling deeper under the covers. My heart skipped a beat or two before I whispered the words back to her. I promised myself I would say them to her later this morning when she was wide awake. I glanced at the streaming sunshine and then at the bedside clock – seven-thirty. Plenty of time for a quick run while my girl slept.

_My girl_. I really liked the sound of that.

I slipped from the bed as gently as possible, not wanting to disturb Isabella, and then quickly donned my running clothes. I grabbed my wallet and keys before heading out the door. With any luck, I would be back before she even turned over.

A half hour later I was completing my run, when I saw Vickie getting out of her car in front of my building.

"Just the man I wanted to see," she greeted with a smile as she stepped across the curb to stand in front of me.

"Hey, Vickie, what's up?"

"I could ask you the same thing. I've been trying to reach you since yesterday morning, but your phone goes straight to voice mail."

I remembered that I'd turned my phone off on Friday night, not wanting anything to disturb my time with Isabella. I guess I'd forgotten to turn it back on.

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that," I didn't elaborate. "So, what did you need to tell me?"

Her eyes moved across my face and down my throat, before they narrowed slightly and a tight look of anger flashed across her face. It was gone so fast, I thought I must have imagined it. Then she smiled again and spoke quickly, "Oh, I heard from the record company. They've scheduled your studio time for the first of next month. Will you guys be ready?"

"Sure! You just tell us the time. We've been ready for a while."

"Great! So... you going up?" she nodded her head in the direction of my building. I honestly didn't feel like introducing her to Isabella this morning. Vickie was territorial about the band, and I knew she had hopes of something more than just a manager/client relationship with me. I didn't feel that way about her; never had, and I suddenly felt a little ashamed for never being straight with her. I knew I was going to have to finally come clean and let her know I didn't have those kinds of feelings about her, but I didn't want to deal with her drama this morning. For now, I just wanted to enjoy my time with Isabella.

"No, I think I'll run down to Starbucks for breakfast. I'll talk to you later." I gave her a wave and jogged away, figuring Vickie would get in her car and leave while I picked up some coffee and muffins.

How wrong I was.

Twenty minutes later, my life fell apart.

I returned to my apartment, breakfast in hand, to find it empty. The only signs that Isabella had been there was the indention of her head in the pillow and her shirt lying on the bedroom floor. I still remember how I held that shirt, slept with it for months, because it still smelled like her. I had done everything I could think of to find her, but to no avail. Emmett and Jasper watched me die a little more each time I hit a dead end. Then I had to admit to myself that maybe she didn't want to be found. I think I might have died outright if it hadn't been for the music. I threw myself in to writing. It was Jasper who suggested that maybe if I could write down my feelings, it might make them easier to deal with. I had tried, and it did help a little.

I was still an emotional mess when the blow up with Vickie happened. I was having a really bad day, which had followed a really bad night before, when even booze couldn't keep Isabella's memory away. It was a couple of months after she disappeared, and the band was rehearsing for our tour which was starting right before the holidays. Vickie had been hanging around a lot lately, and I mean A LOT, and had become really touchy-feely with me. I'd finally had enough and I blew up at her.

"Vickie, will you just give it a rest! I'm not into you that way!" I really didn't mean for it to come out that harshly, but my nerves were stretched paper-thin and I didn't think before I ranted.

Her eyes flashed with rage as she retorted, "What the hell are you waiting for, Edward! Do you think that little tramp you had in July will be back? I don't think so!"

The room suddenly got very quiet as I turned slowly to face her.

"What did you say?" I asked, enunciating each word carefully.

Apparently she was so enraged that she didn't notice the change in atmosphere. "That little slut you slept with in July. Did you think I didn't know? I saw that mark on your neck that the whore left on you! I got rid of her. Did you really think I would let someone like her ruin what you've worked for? You had to keep your eye on the prize. You didn't need any distractions from someone who didn't understand your music or the lifestyle that goes along with it."

"You did what? What do you mean, _you got rid of her_?" I was too stunned for a moment to give into my fury, and I was almost afraid of what I was going to hear.

"I told her that you sent me to get rid of her. That she didn't belong in your life. Don't you see, Edward? I did it for you. You don't need a groupie hanging on to you. She would only drag you down!"

Oh, my God! She was totally delusional. How had I missed it? I was still too shocked to reply immediately, and she must have taken that as a sign that I agreed with her.

The smile she gave me was slightly off, as she said, "Don't you see, Edward? I understand you. I understand your music. You belong with me."

I stood gaping like a fish as I tried to wrap my mind around what she was saying. I finally found my tongue and said the first think that popped into my head, "You're crazy!"

By this time, Emmett and Jasper were flanking me as the three of us stared at her as she continued her insane ramblings.

"Edward, you know you belong with me. Emmett, Jasper, you know it, don't you?"

"Vickie, I'm only going to say this once, so you better listen closely." I was having trouble hanging on to my rage and I was shaking with the intensity of my feelings; I was really close to losing it completely and doing her bodily harm. Jasper seemed to sense this as I felt his hand close around my bicep, giving me silent encouragement.

"Don't you ever, EVER speak about her that way… No, wait, don't you ever even THINK about her again. Do you understand? Do you?" I was shouting by this time. Jasper and Emmett moved closer to me, knowing I was seconds from committing murder.

"You're fired. Get your stuff and get out of here. Don't ever even _think_ about coming back."

"But Edward... I did it for you. Don't you know that? You need me. You need me!"

Her tears did nothing for me. I couldn't stand to look at her one moment longer.

"All I need is for you to get out of my sight. GET. OUT!"

"But..."

"You heard him, Vick," Emmett spoke coldly. I don't think I'd ever heard him speak in that tone before. "Leave!"

"You'll be sorry," she yelled as she gathered up her things. "Do you really think you'll make it in the music business without me? Do you? Just wait, you'll see. You'll be begging me to come back within a week." She stalked out of the rehearsal studio and that was the last time we saw her.

Two days later, we hired our current manager, Jay Jenks. He was a seasoned professional and had worked wonders with our career.

**. . . .**

Time passed and each day I was able to push the pain of losing Isabella a little farther down, until it only surfaced when I was alone. I only pulled out her shirt when I'd had an especially shitty day and needed to feel her presence. But after five years, I was still no closer to finding her. For all I knew, she could be married by now. I cringed inside at the thought of her with someone else, but I also knew I had to face facts. Five years was a long time. Maybe Em was right. Maybe it was time to move on.

Right then I made a decision. Tonight was the last gig on our current tour. I'd been ending each concert with a message to Isabella. If she didn't show tonight—here in Seattle where it had all began—then I would attempt to put my life back together without her.

The show tonight was awesome; it was, hand's down, the best we'd ever had. There was something different, sort of like a subtle charge in the air. I was still floating on that high when we came to the close of our set. Like always, I made my plea to Isabella, telling her, once again with fifteen thousand witnesses, what I hadn't been able to tell her that morning five years ago – that I loved her.

"Thank you, Seattle, for a great homecoming. You're an awesome audience!" I felt the energy surge with the applause. I felt my heartbeat rush as I opened my mouth to say the words for the last time ...

"Isabella, if you're out there, I still love you."

I sang our closing song—the one I had written when the pain of her leaving had still been fresh and everyday I felt like I was dying— to her. I couldn't seem to get her out of my head. When I looked up to sing the last line of the song, there she was. At first, I thought I was hallucinating, that I had somehow conjured her likeness up out of thin air.

"Isabella?" Then I knew. She was real. She was there, right in front of me. "Isabella!"

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**A/N: There it is, Edward's take on the whole breakup. I hope it didn't disappoint. I know some were thinking it might go another way and Edward would be a little more OOC, but you need to remember, this originally a one-shot, and I'm a sucker for a perfect Edward. **

**Last chapter will post tomorrow!**

**Rock On!**

**** BM ****


	5. Chapter 5 Final Chapter

**A/N: Okay, this is the final chapter of Rewind. I told you it wouldn't be a long story. **

**Now for some other business: I'm trying to find the rabbit hole I fell down, because I must have ended up in Wonderland! This little, re-worked, one-shot has been nominated over on The Lemonade Stand for "Fic of the Week!" I am floored and overwhelmed by the reception that Rewind has received. I love all you wonderful readers SO MUCH!**

**As always, many thanks to my beta, Melolabel. If you haven't read her stories, be sure to check them out.**

**Disclaimer: Twilight and all the characters belong to Stephenie Meyer (Lucky Lady!) **

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**Rewind, Chapter 5**

**BPOV**

Edward practically threw his guitar into the hands of his bewildered brother and launched himself off the stage. The crowd parted as if by magic, giving him space as he vaulted over the security barrier and landed in front of me.

He didn't hesitate for a second, but pulled me instantly into his arms.

"Oh, God, Isabella! Is it really you?"

"It's really me, Edward, and I love you, too. I always have."

He kissed me then, and it was as if everything in the world was right again. I had my Edward.

He whispered brokenly between kisses, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"I know, I'm sorry, too," I answered breathlessly when he gave me the chance to speak.

"Edward, let's take this backstage, okay; too many eyes out here." I looked up and saw Edward's brother, the drummer, smiling at us.

We made our way through the crowd, Edward's arm wrapped firmly around my waist. I glanced over and saw Alice and Rose smiling like it was Christmas morning as they followed us out.

When we were finally backstage and away from prying eyes, Edward pulled me to him and kissed me again with such passion, I felt the earth move. When he finally drew back, I saw the remorse in his eyes for all that had happened five years ago.

"You believe me, don't you? I did _not _tell Vickie to send you away. I fired her ass when the truth finally came out."

"I believe you, Edward."

"I was frantic when I returned to my apartment and you were gone. I didn't know what happened; you just disappeared. I tried to find you, I really did, but I didn't have your cell number. I wanted to reach Angela, but Ben deployed early and I couldn't get to him in time. I even tried to find your father, but do you realize how many small towns there are in a four-hour radius of Seattle? Then I thought you might not want to see me again. At the time, I didn't know why you left. Vickie didn't confess her part in your leaving until a few months later. By then, we were in the studio, and then on tour, and one thing led to another and I finally had to stop looking." He took a long, shuddering breath. "But I never gave up hope. I never stopped loving you. I just threw myself into the music and wrote about the pain."

"I know. I never stopped loving you, either. But I didn't think you wanted me around, so I never tried to look you up again."

He gave me a strickened look. "Oh, darling, that's not true. Please know that's not true. I told you, you became my life in those two days. Everything inside me revolved around you."

Tears were rolling down my face, as I nodded, swallowing hard so I could speak. "I know. I know that now! I'm so sorry I listened to her. I should have waited for you to come back..." My voice broke as sobs took over. He held me to his chest, murmuring softly in my ear as he stroked my hair, letting me cry.

When I gathered myself enough to speak again, I leaned back to look at him. "I listened to your lyrics. A fan told us you wrote a lot of your songs after a bad breakup..." I couldn't continue as tears took over again.

He pulled me close again, this time kissing the tears away as they streamed down my cheeks. "That's true," his voice was a little shaky too. He swallowed thickly, then gave me a small, somewhat embarrassed, smile. "I wrote a lot of emo stuff, but it helped me get to a place where I could at least function. I was a real mess for a while."

"Me, too," I answered with a watery smile of my own. "I was numb at first, but I then moved to New York and met Rose and Alice." I inclined my head toward my two friends, standing off to the side in order to give us a little privacy. "They helped me so much when I needed someone to talk to."

"I know," he glanced over my shoulder. "My brothers were there for me through it all, too. Jazz was the one who encouraged me to write about my feelings, to sort of try to purge them on paper."

His green eyes caught and held mine and we just looked at each other. "I'm so glad he did," I whispered. "That's what convinced me that Victoria must have been lying: Your music. It told me everything that I needed to hear."

His lips closed over mine again and the world disappeared for a time. He finally drew back to look at me again before speaking, "I didn't get a chance to tell you something that morning when I returned from my run." He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on my lips, then continued, "I love you, Isabella."

"I love you, Edward."

"I haven't been able to look at another woman. You're it for me."

I gave a small laugh, "You're it for me, too. No other man could ever measure up to my _Edward Standard._"

"Edward Standard? What's -"

"Never mind," I interrupted, as I heard giggles from Rose and Alice. "I'll explain later."

His lips met mine again, as if drawn there by some insurmountable magnetic force, before he said, "I don't know what your life is like now, but I'm not letting you go again."

"Well, as a matter of fact, my calendar just recently became wide opened. How would you like a permanent groupie?"

The smile that split his face was like the sun breaking through thick rain clouds. "You're the only groupie I'll ever need."

The End!

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**A/N: That's the end, dear readers. I know some have asked for more story, but really, this little story just needs to end here. **

**In the meantime, if you have a chance, go over to The Lemonade Stand and vote for "Rewind" as the Fic of the Week. I'm very touched and honored that nch2691 nominated it. Thank you, bb. I have a link to the contest on my profile. I'm not sure how you vote, but perhaps you can figure it out. LOL**

**I love the love!**

**Rock On!**

**** BM ****


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